Akron Makerspace

AMS 2026 Showcase
In the showcase today are some stellar ceramic, soap and candle projects made by AMS Vice President Perry Cain. According to Perry:

“I made some soap, scented with lavender buds. It looks great paired with a little handmade bathroom set. I also made some normal soap. Sometimes you dont succeed right away. This was supposed to be a bundt cake soap. It came out pretty bad. However, I regrouped and did a redo. This is the bundt cake soap, with fudge cake smell and Vanilla Sugar in it. Here is the soap with a matching Candle and little wooden holders...”

Nicely done!

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

AMS 2026 Showcase
In the showcase today is a nice bowl made by AMS member Gene. According to Gene:

“I made this jewelry bowl for a graduation present. I had only 2 weeks to make it, which sounds like a lot. I asked Bob how to do it, and he recommended using glued layers to avoid bending/warping. So, the bowl was made from purple heart and curly maple, with an alternating grain direction. The results? NO warping after turning! The insert tray is made from three layers 5/16 thick of padauk, grain alternated. NO warping issues there. The three little pegs serve as ring posts and hold the insert. The first three days were gluing, with the actual turning following. The second week was entirely used for applying lacquer. Bob, thanks for all the advice on making this graduation present possible.”

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

AMS 2026 Showcase
Up in the AMS Showcase, today, are some beautiful ceramic pieces made by AMS member LaurenH. Nicely done!

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

AMS 2026 Showcase
Up in the AMS Showcase, today, is a stellar metal and wood turning project made by AMS member Josh. The project involved a variety of tools, including a metal lathe, chop saw, drill press and hydraulic press. The handle was made using purple heart wood. The result, a unique razor. Nicely done!

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

AMS 2026 Showcase
Up in the AMS Showcase, today, are some nice sewing projects made by our members:

- Chloe thrifted a knit blanket to make herself a sweater and decided to make a matching one for her cat with the remnants. Chloe also upgraded her favorite “13-year-old” crewneck. She used a $5 “donor” thrifted hoodie, and using sewing skills learned at AMS, was able to swap the cuffs in 45 minutes.

- Lindsey has been busy creating several nice projects including a patchwork wrap skirt, using red remnants. Lindsey also made a nice “traveller cape” from an old bed sheet and a thrifted tablecloth.

- Kristian made two very nice top and bottom sets. Kristian used a pattern for the bottoms, but self drafted the top using a shirt as a pattern.

- Perry and his wife make quilts for Veterans and Foster Care children. His group contributed 80 quilts in 2024 alone. Here is a nice example of a quilt made for Veterans.

- Michelle has worked on a couple of nice projects, including a Greco-Roman dress for a wedding. Michelle also altered a dress to wear at a “prohibition” themed event. The alterations included removing the lining, adding panels to the side seams and then adding gold chaining the back.

Lovely work by all!

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

AMS 2026 Showcase

Up in the AMS Showcase, today, is an amazing project created by NateO, an AMS member. According to Nate:

“Here is my daughter’s pedal plane complete. It’s a Gee Bee racer. Built from plans. Perry Cain printed the mock engine. She did not want the decals and numbers as she says it made it to grown up. She picked out the colors.”

Nicely done!

To find out more, check us out at the AMS website or Discord server.

On August 11 and 12th of 2024, competitors from around the eastern and central states converged to race electric karts in the Rubber City Run, the Akron stage of the Power Racing Series (PRS). The PRS competition was one of three attractions at the Rubber City Run, including Combat Robotics and the Makers Market.

As events unfolded, crowd sentiment swirled around one vehicle. Folks weren’t drawn by the kart’s epic speed or ability to take a turn. No, they were drawn to this kart because it brought the drama. The kart was Optimus Prime, a scaled down tractor trailer capable of, among other things, doing wheelies down the track. Optimus, with trailer in tow, performed the first “jackknife” in known PRS history.

Optimus began life as “Maximum Overdrive”, a nod to the Stephen King film starring Emilio Estevez, where a possessed semi-truck harasses folks in a diner. With accessibility in mind, Maximum Overdrive was designed so that any member, regardless of body-type, could join the fun. As overbuilding karts is an AMS PRS tradition, Maximum Overdrive featured a Brembo brake caliber lifted from a custom Ducati build.

Due to a shift in consumer awareness among the younger market segment, the kart was later rebranded from Maximum Overdrive to “Optimus Prime.” The rest, as they say, is history.

Optimus is currently maintained by AMS member Jordan Craft.